The present subject matter relates generally to video controls for video playback. More specifically, the present invention relates to a non-linear video control and a contextually relevant video control.
Video player software often provides user interface elements to control the playback of a video. The most common user interface elements have included a play button, pause button, rewind button, and often a “progress bar.” A progress bar has been a linear bar located below the video content on a screen that represents the length of the video. A progress bar often has been a cursor showing the current position of playback that may be used to recall the location of desired content.
Generally, videos have been created and video player user interfaces have been designed so that videos may be played linearly from beginning to end with only occasional fast-forwarding, rewinding, or playback position changes. These existing video control mechanisms often retain playback metaphors developed when a limited number of buttons were available or a computer mouse controlled the interaction. For example, many video control mechanisms use play, pause, and rewind buttons that have existed since videotapes. Further, when used, prior progress bars have been generic and only vary from video to video in the speed of the cursor movement during playback. Despite the evolution of video media and video player devices, video control mechanisms have not changed much over time.
Users, such as viewers and content creators, have been increasingly seeking new ways of engaging with video content. In some instances, users have wanted content that is more interactive and engages the viewers as part of the action. Further, users often desired to view content in non-linear ways: fast-forwarding to contextually important parts of interest, replaying key sequences, watching segments in reverse. Prior solutions provided very limited ways to interact with content in non-linear ways and made it difficult to find desired segments of video content, leaving the burden on the user to recall the location of desired content or to manually seek and find it. Further, while new gesture-based controls have opened new opportunities for user interaction, typical video controls have not incorporated gesture-based controls.
What users have needed are video player controls that provide users more interactive and engaging content experiences. Further, what users have needed are video player controls that provide users new ways to interact with content non-linearly and new ways to see the playback position of the videos in context. Even further, what users have needed are video player controls that show users the context of the current playback location in the video. Finally, what users have needed are video player controls that provide users with gesture-based metaphors that exceed the limitations of traditional video player controls.
Accordingly, there is a need for non-linear video controls and contextual video controls as described herein.